Syria is facing a fresh and dangerous escalation in violence, with Israel launching its most intense airstrikes on Damascus in years amid deadly clashes between Druze factions and government forces in the south.
The renewed conflict, centred on the province of Suwayda in the south, threatens the country’s fragile post-war political transition and has already left hundreds dead, including civilians and soldiers.
The immediate trigger for the violence was the abduction of a Druze merchant in Suwayda on 13 July, which quickly spiralled into armed confrontations between Druze militias and Sunni Bedouin tribes. The situation worsened when government troops attempted to restore order but ended up clashing with local Druze fighters – and in some cases, were accused of targeting civilians.
By 15 July, Israel intervened militarily, citing its responsibility to protect the Druze population in Syria, a minority it considers a potential ally. This intervention marked the beginning of a dramatic escalation.
In Israel, the Druze are seen as a loyal minority and often serve in the military. In Syria, the Druze have been divided over how to deal with the country’s new leaders, with some advocating for integrating into the new system while others have remained suspicious of the authorities in Damascus and pushed for an autonomous Druze region.
On Wednesday the Israeli military launched multiple airstrikes hitting central Damascus, including the Ministry of Defence headquarters and areas near the presidential palace, saying it is warning against attacks on Druze.
Further attacks were carried out in the southern city of Suwayda, a Druze-majority area close to the Jordanian border.
According to Syrian officials, the strikes on Damascus killed three people and injured 34. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, reported that more than 300 people had been killed in Suwayda since 13 July, including eight women, four children and 165 soldiers.
The strikes represent Israel’s most serious military escalation in Syria since December 2024, when it bombed hundreds of military sites following the fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in a rebel-led offensive.
That offensive had ended Syria’s 14-year-long civil war and ushered in a new, Islamist-leaning leadership under interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa.
Israel has been accused by some Druze figures in Syria and Lebanon of stoking sectarian divisions to advance its own expansionist aspirations in the region.
Syria’s new leadership under pressure
President al-Sharaa, a former militant who was once a member of al-Qaeda and now heads Syria’s transitional government, addressed the nation on Thursday, describing the Druze as an integral part of Syria. “We affirm that protecting your rights and freedoms is among our top priorities,” he said, specifically addressing Druze in Syria.
“We reject any attempt – foreign or domestic – to sow division within our ranks. We are all partners in this land, and we will not allow any group to distort the beautiful image that Syria and its diversity represent.”
